NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcavoy

A Scottish and Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Fhiodhbhuidhe," meaning "son of the fair-haired man."

In the 1881 census there were 743 people recorded with the Mcavoy surname, ranking it #4,937 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,030, ranked #3,173, up from #4,937 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Toxteth Park and Wigan. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Earlston and Hurlford Rural, Doncaster and Copeland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcavoy is 2,030 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 173.2%.

1881 census count

743

Ranked #4,937

Modern count

2,030

2016, ranked #3,173

Peak year

2016

2,030 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcavoy had 743 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,937 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,030 in 2016, ranked #3,173.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 909 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcavoy surname distribution map

The map shows where the Mcavoy surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Mcavoy surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcavoy over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 401 #6,031
1861 historical 487 #5,363
1881 historical 743 #4,937
1891 historical 695 #5,640
1901 historical 909 #5,107
1911 historical 475 #8,144
1997 modern 1,793 #3,348
1998 modern 1,836 #3,398
1999 modern 1,889 #3,337
2000 modern 1,865 #3,355
2001 modern 1,812 #3,373
2002 modern 1,867 #3,356
2003 modern 1,829 #3,355
2004 modern 1,862 #3,295
2005 modern 1,872 #3,253
2006 modern 1,844 #3,303
2007 modern 1,867 #3,302
2008 modern 1,902 #3,271
2009 modern 1,950 #3,286
2010 modern 2,007 #3,267
2011 modern 1,981 #3,254
2012 modern 1,923 #3,293
2013 modern 1,979 #3,273
2014 modern 2,004 #3,255
2015 modern 1,998 #3,242
2016 modern 2,030 #3,173

Geography

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Where Mcavoys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Toxteth Park, Wigan, Manchester and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Earlston and Hurlford Rural, Doncaster, Copeland and Carmarthenshire. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Toxteth Park Lancashire
3 Wigan Lancashire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Earlston and Hurlford Rural East Ayrshire
2 Doncaster 006 Doncaster
3 Copeland 003 Copeland
4 Copeland 005 Copeland
5 Carmarthenshire 011 Carmarthenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcavoy

These lists show first names that appear often with the Mcavoy surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcavoy

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mcavoy, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Mcavoy surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Mcavoy household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Mcavoy is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mcavoy is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mcavoy falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mcavoy is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Mcavoy, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mcavoy

The surname McAvoy has its origins in Ireland and Scotland, dating back to the medieval period. It is an Anglicized version of the Gaelic name "Mac Samhaidh," which means "son of Samhadh." Samhadh is derived from the Old Irish word "samh," meaning "summer" or "summertime."

The McAvoy name can be traced back to County Cavan, Ireland, where it was first recorded in the 13th century. The name was particularly prevalent in the areas of Cavan, Fermanagh, and Monaghan. Historical records show variations in the spelling, including MacCavaddy, MacAvaddy, and McAveety.

One of the earliest recorded references to the McAvoy name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The Annals mention a "Mac Samhaidh" in the entry for the year 1239, suggesting the name's existence at that time.

In the 16th century, the McAvoy name appeared in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereign, a collection of official records from the reign of Henry VIII. This indicates that members of the McAvoy family held positions of importance during that period.

Notable individuals with the surname McAvoy throughout history include:

1. Owen McAvoy (c. 1580-1650), an Irish Catholic priest and historian, known for his work "The Book of Monaghan." 2. John McAvoy (1760-1838), an Irish-born American soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War. 3. Thomas McAvoy (1819-1892), an Irish-born American Catholic priest and missionary in the Pacific Northwest. 4. May McAvoy (1899-1984), an American actress who appeared in silent films and early talkies. 5. Aidan McAvoy (born 1958), an Irish hurler who played for the Antrim senior hurling team.

The McAvoy name is also associated with several place names in Ireland, such as McAvoy's Lough in County Fermanagh and McAvoy's Bridge in County Cavan, reflecting the historical presence of the family in these regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcavoy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcavoy surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Cumberland leads with 29 Mcavoys recorded in 1881 and an index of 40.16x.

County Total Index
Cumberland 29 40.16x
Lancashire 18 1.81x
Durham 16 6.41x
Yorkshire 12 1.44x
Gloucestershire 4 2.43x
Isle of Man 2 12.84x
Middlesex 2 0.24x
Derbyshire 1 0.76x
Surrey 1 0.24x
Sussex 1 0.71x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cleator in Cumberland leads with 21 Mcavoys recorded in 1881 and an index of 697.67x.

Place Total Index
Cleator 21 697.67x
Hartlepool 11 309.86x
Ampleforth Oswaldkirk 6 7500.00x
Sculcoates 5 37.94x
St Cuthbert W O 5 142.05x
Gateshead 4 21.41x
Great Bolton 4 30.35x
Preston 4 15.02x
Westbury On Severn East 4 107.53x
Openshaw 3 64.38x
Liverpool 2 3.31x
Toxteth Park 2 5.93x
Workington 2 48.43x
Chesterfield 1 20.33x
Clapham 1 9.53x
Cowpen Bewley 1 357.14x
Edenhall 1 1250.00x
Everton 1 3.15x
German Peel 1 111.11x
Hove 1 16.13x
Manningham 1 9.77x
Onchan 1 22.27x
Poplar London 1 6.32x
Rivington 1 1000.00x
Shadwell London 1 42.55x
Walton On Hill 1 18.55x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Mcavoy surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 8
Margaret 6
Elizabeth 5
Anne 2
Catherine 2
Frances 2
Jane 2
Sarah 2
Ann 1
Annie 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Jean 1
Kate 1
Margarett 1
S. 1
Susan 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Mcavoy surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 8
Thomas 4
William 4
Arthur 3
Daniel 3
George 3
Patrick 3
Bernard 2
David 2
Francis 2
James 2
Joseph 2
Charles 1
Dennis 1
Edward 1
Hugh 1
Lawrence 1
Michael 1
Peter 1
Robt. 1
Willi 1

FAQ

Mcavoy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcavoy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 743 people were recorded with the Mcavoy surname. That placed it at #4,937 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcavoy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,030 in 2016. That gives Mcavoy a modern rank of #3,173.

What does the Mcavoy surname mean?

A Scottish and Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Fhiodhbhuidhe," meaning "son of the fair-haired man."

What does the Mcavoy map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Mcavoy bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.